Wednesday, 4 August 2010

The Parliamentary Press Gallery has launched a scheme by which they will admit non political journalists to the press gallery... but only if they happen to be from a black or minority ethnic background. (Happen to be from? Just because they are fortunate enough to be born into a disadvantaged group of society, the lucky bastards, they get all the breaks when people try and restore balance).

It has to be said that the lobby and press gallery are not exactly overflowing with journalists whose skin is anything other than pinkish white and it is to their credit that they are trying to do something about it. But is this the way to go forward? There's something deeply tokenistic about the way I say it is to their credit that they are trying to do something about it. Is this the way forward?

What about other minorities? Would it be a good thing to encourage more blind people to become political journalists? There is clearly a need for more folk who are shortsighted, fail to see the whole picture, are blind in their faith and partisan loyalty, myopic with regards to facts and turn a blind eye to criticism if it suits.

I won't suggest there should be a scheme for gay journalists, as they are already disproportionately represented by the pinkish whites I mention above...